The priorities included current efforts at the legislature and in other areas such as the new stadium. The results of the community survey was shared with members.

Legislative priorities of the Chicano Latino Affairs Council, Council on Black Minnesotans and the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans shared their legislative priorities in the area of business development, health, jobs and education. The legislative priorities of the African American Leadership Forum and OAP and ARCHE were also discussed.

Commissioner Kevin Lindsey shared efforts by his office and the Dayton Administration in many of the areas discussed at the meeting. The group agreed to have a two pronged strategy:

• Focus on current efforts that bring jobs and economic development to the community

• Bring the community together in late August to develop a collaborative strategy for the next legislative session (Commissioner Lindsey).

The group shared best practices:

• Keith Baker shared a successful proactive approach in the stadium construction where ALANA professional and technical businesses had a unified and strategic approach to get contracts.

• Ed McDonald shared best practices on the importance of developing accountability systems in public procurement and contracting

• Commissioner Lindsey shared efforts to bring the voices of the diverse communities to the table in a strategic and effective way

Next Steps:

• The need to develop a strategic gameplan to be effective

• Continue to build collaboration with other groups on our common goals

• Acknowledge the many faces of the community and to support the most effective strategy for the moment

• The group supported legislation to empower the Department of Human Rights and provide more resources for its effective functioning.

• The group supported legislation to designate areas in larger cities as labor surplus areas and leverage existing resources to bring jobs and economic development to those areas

• The group supported education initiatives currently being discussed in the legislature and will work to identify priorities

• The group supported efforts to bring about accountable and inclusive public contracting and expand this to the municipal level and to support mentor-protege and other such programs

• The group supported efforts to bring about cultural competency in health care programs and institutions given the diversity within and among ALANA populations

• The group supported efforts to make Minnesota and the nation immigrant friendly.